The corporate world is gradually moving toward a digital-first strategy. This changing work environment calls for new and up-to-date skills. As a result, businesses have had to spend much money on employee training, upskilling, and reskilling to ensure that they stay current with technology and can effectively use it in their everyday operations. Also, employees need to stay ahead of the competitive curve by developing new skills.
Organizations that want to hire and effectively retain talent should note what employees are looking for: opportunities for learning and development (L&D). With the hybrid or remote work environment becoming the workplace priority, upskilling and reskilling remote employees is a challenge for learning leaders.
According to WEF research, 50% of all employees must be reskilled by 2025. So, here are the six recommendations for organizations to efficiently implement upskilling and reskilling programs for their remote and hybrid workforce.
1. Create a culture of learning
Organizations can empower employees to become better versions of themselves by investing in their training and development. With the right culture, employees can find opportunities to acquire new skills and share them with colleagues, setting off a ripple effect of learning and growth. Employers who foster a culture of continuous learning in the workplace demonstrate concern for their employees and the value they provide to the organization. When employees acquire new skills in the remote work setting, they feel more appreciated, productive, engaged, and devoted to their employer.
2. Build a larger skill set
Investing in the upskilling and reskilling of remote or hybrid employees is an important step in ensuring employees are equipped with the skills necessary to perform their job successfully. This investment in their development will benefit the company in the long run, as they will become better equipped to tackle new challenges and take on additional responsibilities. These training efforts through corporate training programs enable employees to move into a new role or take on extra responsibilities that increase their productivity and effectiveness on the job.
3. Create personal development plans
Personal development plans offer a unique way for employees to track their progress and set specific goals, while employers can identify strengths and weaknesses in an employee’s performance. It provides a clear understanding of expectations for employees, enabling them to be successful and realize their career aspirations. This includes not just quality standards but also deadlines for deliverables and other expectations for completing the job.
4. Provide blended learning opportunities
It is simple to facilitate self-paced learning remotely by providing learners with resources like online learning material and videos. The problem is that this approach to learning will lead to low completion rates and a decline in information retention owing to learners’ isolation. To increase knowledge retention and completion rates, remote organizations should provide resources in various formats and allow for communication between learners and mentors. Blended learning with engaging learning content will help enhance learner engagement, participation, and experience.
5. Evaluate and refine content as per requirement
The optimal practice for L&D professionals would be to evaluate the effectiveness of upskilling and reskilling techniques periodically. Consequently, organizations can make necessary adjustments and better align training goals with the business’s and employees’ demands. In turn, it may foster a culture of continuous learning that is more adaptable to the continually changing demands of an organization.
6. Allow employees to direct their professional growth
Investing in the employees by offering upskilling and reskilling opportunities will help organizations retain them. Still, it will also help improve the organization’s and employees’ performance. A great employer recognizes this and provides resources to help employees pursue their individual professional goals through corporate training programs.
Conclusion
Upgrading employees’ skills is no longer an option but a necessity. Technology’s rapid advancement and digital transformation have forced enterprises to adjust to a new working environment. Organizations have had to modify their operations and processes in this environment to stay competitive. Organizations can ensure that employees have access to new skills and knowledge by creating the right learning environment and providing adequate resources in their corporate training programs. The best practices listed in this blog for employee upskilling and reskilling will help them develop the best corporate training programs.
